


Tripping Over You

by Iane_Casey



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baby Ghost is fluffy and charming and loves Dany, F/M, First Meetings, Jeyne Poole is here just as a helping hand, Meet-Cute, Siberian Huskies, Val is just a flirting barista, bearded dragons, literally fluffy as fuck, pet shop meet-cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 22:26:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17109278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iane_Casey/pseuds/Iane_Casey
Summary: Maybe he should have thought this through. He should have taken a few pups at a time instead of doing the pickup in one go. Then again, if he’d done that, he wouldn’t have tripped. Thrice. And he would not have met Dany.





	Tripping Over You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iamsmall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamsmall/gifts).



> This had been in my Notes since November. Of course the moment I show it to my bbkins Angel, she goes and demands it. So here it is. 
> 
> This one's for you, i-am-small!
> 
> If this doesn't kick your butt into action for HOWL... JK. Merry Christmas, my love! <3
> 
> A quick shoutout to my babe TheScarletGarden for the quick beta services! And super thanks to Aliciutza for the surprise moodboard! Thank you, loves! *smoochies*

Vibrating with a nearly giddy energy as he walked to the Manticore Pet Emporium, Jon Stark had no doubt he looked like a sketchy idiot.

The emporium was the biggest and best in all of Westeros, they even let their kittens and pups roam freely in designated areas instead of keeping them in cramped cages.

Gendry had once told him that the first time he and Arya had dropped by when they were in the city, he practically had to drag Arya out after having spent hours on end with the pups and kittens and the lizards— pretty much all the animals she had been allowed to touch and pet.

This was the reason why he’d opted to purchase Siberian Huskies for himself and his Stark cousins from them instead of going to other breeders. He’d been lucky enough to get a litter from one dam. True, it was a pretty penny he was shelling out, but it was more than worth it.

He was thrumming from excitement, his ears slightly reeling from the rush of his blood the closer he got to the massive warehouse-like building. When he got out of there, he'll finally have his own dog.

Ever since he was a boy, he’d always wanted—

"I'm sorry!" He was quick to apologise, even though he was the one who had tripped on the extended foot. Instead of turning to look back, he continued on.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" A female called out in concern as he walked away.

He ignored her. He was unhurt, no harm had been done. He just wanted to get in and walk back out with his new best friend and the five other pups he'll be gifting his cousins for Christmas.

"Hi, Jon!" Jeyne Poole, one of Sansa's best friends, greeted him from the front desk with her pretty white teeth.

She’d called him when she saw his order come through, telling him she’d be in for a shift the day he was due to pick up the litter of puppies. He had been able to tell she’d wanted to know more, but he’d been on his way to a meeting and had promised to tell her the next day. The girl relented, thankfully.

"Hey, Jeyne," he greeted with a small smile. Rubbing at his nape he told her, "I'm here to pick up the lot of huskies."

His face scrunched up playfully at the sound of her barely contained squeal, his face flushing as the people coming and going from the main entrance of the 4-hectare establishment looked at them.

"Does Sansa know?" she asked, brown eyes wide in anticipation of his response, and gesturing for him to follow her as she pulled her dark hair up into a ponytail.

"No," he replied, looking around as they made their way to what he assumed would be the dogs section of the emporium. After some research he came to find that they had a separate area housing the pups for sale and the ones up for adoption.

"And don't you dare tell her, Jeyne Poole," he added as an afterthought, his voice playful yet serious.

"Your surprise is safe with me, Jonno," she promised, smiling sweetly at him and shaking her head, even zipping her lips with her fingers for effect.

 _It better be_ , Jon thought. Jeyne, Sansa, and Margaery were as thick as thieves, even sharing the same condo unit right across the University of Westeros.

Shaking his head, Jon proceeded to follow her, still taking everything in. The place looked like a damned rainforest with the way everything was set up. Aquariums and containers were everywhere, strategically stacked or mounted, even embedded flush into stone and wood. Real plants and trees sprung forth from the ground, a myriad of species kept alive by the regulated temperature in the establishment. If there were no signs hanging overhead or actual poles with directions to let visitors and shoppers alike know how to make their way around, one would easily get lost. There was also a stream that snaked throughout the place, short and whimsical bridges scattered about, making it look picturesque.

"You ready to meet them?" Jeyne turned to look at him, grinning as she walked backwards, making small talk during their surprisingly long walk — well, longer than he’d expected.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose." He cringed at the thought of transporting six active pups back to his loft in the capital, towing them all in dog carriers at the airport for his flight on the morrow to Winterfell, and _then_ keeping them secret until the Stark reunion at Uncle Ned’s mansion.

His mother would have loved to hear this story, if she'd lived long enough to see him grow to the man he was today.

"I can't believe you're going to be a dog daddy, Jon," Jeyne teased as the sliding door to what the sign stated was the Dire Woof Station opened for them to walk through.

Jon grunted, rolling his eyes as he followed her.

There was a small area that had a 4-foot tall locked gate with tightly-spaced grates, to prevent the pups from straying outside the station, and Jeyne unlatched it before locking it again after he’d entered.

In the blink of an eye a Great Dane pup ran past him in a sleek merle blur, making him let out a small smile as it jumped into the ball pool to their left.

"They're just at the back," Jeyne told him, a skip in her step, giddy herself.

Jon had always wanted a dog. Ygritte hadn’t wanted one when they were dating, and although he’d tried to convince her multiple times, they’d always ended up fighting because of it. They’d broken up over a year ago and he’d been better for it. The toxicity of their relationship had been too much to bear, so he’d broken things off. His entire family had been relieved, Robb and Sansa had confessed.

“Have you gotten leashes and collars for them yet?” Jeyne asked, opening another door, but this time by tapping her ID card over the sensor.

_Shit._

“No,” Jon grumbled, ruffling his hair. She must think him dumb to have forgotten that important detail. He’d been too busy and had just flown in the other night for business.

Sansa’s best friend smiled kindly at him, before shaking her head and teasing, “This _is_ a pet shop, Jon. Don’t worry about it. You can just go grab whatever you need, and I’ll get them prepared for you. Other than some checks and the leashes and collars, they’re really all good to go for ya after we sign them off.”

“Well, I’m not sure if you’ve already gotten their crates for when you check them in at the airport,” she added, smirking at him and an eyebrow raised in slight judgment.

“I already have the crates,” he mumbled defensively, huffing before asking for directions to the aisle for collars and leashes.

Directions provided, he set out to get 4 cool leashes and collars for the males, probably throw in another non-too-girly one for Arya’s female, and a cutesy pink pair for Sansa’s.

When he turned the corner for the aisle he was looking for, he tripped for the second damned time that afternoon.

“Seven hells!” he cursed as he landed hard, thankfully agile enough to have landed on his palms, his forearms cushioning the fall.

“Oh my gods, I am so—”

The voice familiar, he irritably asked, “Gods, woman, do you have a habit of tripping—” His words caught in his throat when he turned his head to glare at her only to be blown away by the most beautiful eyes he’d ever gazed upon.

She blushed prettily, shame an enhancing rouge on her porcelain skin. She tucked a lock of her nearly silver blonde hair behind her ear.

“I’m so sorry,” she continued her apology, extending a hand for him to take, so she could help him up at least.

She looked gorgeous to him, the tips of her ears as pink as the blush high on the apples of her cheeks.

“It’s—” his breath caught when their hands touched and a current zinged from his skin to hers and back, jolting him. “It’s okay,” he said, clearing his throat to try and compose himself.

“Although, to be fair,” she teased as their hands fell to their sides when he was upright again, “You weren’t actually watching where you were going earlier.”

The nervous smile on her lips made him chuckle, looking away briefly before meeting her captivating violet eyes once more. It was a rarity, violet eyes in Westeros. She must be—

“I’m Dany,” she extended her hand once more.

“Jon,” he shook hers again, really just hoping to feel the softness of her hand in his once more before they went their separate ways. Something in his chest caught at the feeling of the same jolt zapping him again.

Nonplussed yet seemingly intrigued she shook his hand, and the fact that the spark between them still flowed from her to him like a livewire made him wish he had the courage to ask her for out for coffee at least.

He turned his head to the selection of collars before taking a deep breath. He’d do it. Weird as it was…

_But gods, she is a sight to behold._

“Do you have a dog?” he asked out loud, smiling as he diverted his gaze from a dinosaur print-infested collar to another with toy trucks and firetrucks, touching the print so that his hand would stop longing to hold hers.

When he didn’t receive a response, he turned to see that she had fled.

He frowned, hoping he hadn’t freaked her out.

With a sigh, Jon returned to the task at hand. He didn’t stay longer in the capital more than he needed to, for business, anyway. Thumbing the dinosaur print on one of the collars, Jon shook his head.

Why was he pining over the woman who’d just tripped him twice in a day? Surely that was the universe telling him the woman was trouble?

But her eyes. They were the most mesmerising sight he’s ever seen; lavender fields swaying to the gentlest breeze.

 _Time to move on, Jon_ , he told himself, pulling him from his awed stupor and getting back to work. He didn’t have a lot of time.

It was stupid, putting too much thought into the leashes and collars when his cousins would most likely get the pups new ones anyway when they have tags created for them once they’ve decided on the names.

The task made him smile, however, remembering the Stark’s old dog. He had passed away a few months after Rickon was born. It was a good thing they had been able to have one last family picture with both Ice and Rickon in it.

Jon made his way to the nearest counter, imperceptibly glancing around in the off chance he might spot the silver-haired Dany once more. Fondly, faintly, he smiled upon remembering the twinkle in her eyes as she teased him, the way her soft hair parted for her fingers as she shyly brushed them over her ear.

When the person at the till finished up, he took his purchase back to the Dire Woof Station and spotted Jeyne waiting outside the door that had the proximity card scanner.

“Took you long enough,” she sassed, smirking.

“Lead the way, Jeyne,” he snorted, gesturing for her to move it. “The sooner I’m out of here, the better for both of us.”

“I kinda like annoying you,” Jeyne joked, chuckling. “It’s so easy to pull your leg.”

He rolled his eyes, not dignifying her statement with a response.

“Here we are!” she announced jovially, pointing at one of the rooms where the pups were running around, playing with one another. He smiled, his slight annoyance at Jeyne and his missed opportunity to see Dany again forgotten.

Jeyne opened the door for him, and he was all too happy to be attacked by 6-month-old Siberian Husky pups.

All except one.

His eyes met the snow white pup sitting quietly in one corner of the room, his eyes blood red and eyeing everyone else with a chill nonchalance. Jon immediately knew he would be his.

He stood, the pups cheerfully trailing after him with tiny barks and whines, pawing at his leg and nipping at his laces. He chuckled, completely forgetting his troubles as they basked in his attention—or lack thereof, for he was fixated on the quiet ball of fluff.  

He knelt before the pup and extended his hand for him to sniff.

The moment the little guy licked his hand, his tail wagged, and Jon’s chest swelled.

Ghost, he would name him.

“Hi there, bud,” Jon greeted with wonder, picking him up in his arms and nuzzling his face against the line of his snout. “Would you like to be named Ghost?” he asked, not caring that Jeyne was seeing and hearing all of this.

Ghost barked, tiny and cute, licking at his nose.

Laughing, Jon pulled him to his chest and smiled.

“Aye, Ghost it is, then.”

Looking at the other pups begging for his attention, Jon announced, “All right, let’s get you boys and girls collared and leashed, and we’re off.”

Together, he and Jeyne set about getting them ready, even laughing at the shaggy black one who wasn’t willing to be restrained come hell or high water. It took all of Jeyne’s sweet guiles to fool him into getting picked up only for him to be leashed. With a whine, the pup laid down, paws tucked under his snout.

“Nice try,” Jon told the pup, thanking Jeyne. He was about to ask her if she could help him to the car, but she got called by her supervisor, and she had to leave him.

“Send my love to Ned and Cat, Jon! Merry Christmas!” she bid him farewell with a brief hug before rushing out.

“I guess you’re stuck with me,” Jon smirked at the six heads tilted up at him, smart eyes trying to understand.

Leading the way, he exited the Dire Woof station, the other pups being stubborn and needing to be tugged after seeing all the wonderful toys for their chewing pleasure, not to mention the other puppies running around. He couldn’t blame them. They would be bored as fuck by the time they arrived at his place.

Feeling guilty at the thought he made a detour to the toy section and got a couple of toys - one for each, to be exact, so they didn’t have to fight over them, and so they each had one during the flight since they would be unable to comfort one another during transit.

While in line at the counter his stomach grumbled, and he groaned, remembering how he hadn’t actually had anything to eat yet. Thankfully, there was a café in the premises, and after paying for the toys he walked to where it was, turning red and politely - _awkwardly_ \- suffering the cooing and fawning from kids and adults alike.

He fell in line, perusing the large, backlit menu for a cold caffeinated drink and a bite to eat. When he settled on what to order, he got to appreciate the Zoo Café, as they called it. No real animals, but there were giant stuffed toys around them, some even used as chairs.

While in line, kids approached the pups, a seemingly mutually beneficial exchange for everyone involved.

Honestly, he hated the attention, the tips of his ears too warm for comfort. But his stomach was growling, and he had quite a bit of a drive and heavy traffic to endure before he’d be able to eat at home.

“All yours?” the barista asked, flashing him with bright hazel eyes and a flirty smile.

Ridiculously hungry and just about ready for the attention to end, Jon barely gave her the time of day. Politely, he nodded, just to prevent further conversation.

“That is so cool!” the barista, whose tag read “Val”, said, still smiling. She looked at the pups for a while, seemingly dumbstruck until she was finally able to compose herself when the line started to get longer behind him. “So, what can I get for you today?”

He gave her his order and paid for it as fast as he could, and then tugged at the puppies so he could wait by the pickup counter.

“Are… are th-they all yours?” a stuttering boy asked as he crouched down beside Ghost, his little guy being all charming and sitting on the kid’s lap to try and steal a quick nap.

Jon smiled softly at him, ruffling Ghost’s fur as he asked, “Can you keep a secret?”

The blue-eyed boy’s eyes widened, nodding as he leaned forward.

“This one, his name’s Ghost,” Jon patted his pup’s head, “He’s mine. The others I’ll be giving to my cousins as a surprise for Christmas.”

Quietly, the little boy gasped and wowed before covering his mouth, quietly apologising as he looked around. “I’m sorry!”

Chuckling, Jon shook his head, telling the boy it was okay.

The pups were surrounding the kid as Jon stood, licking at him and, like Ghost, snuggling against him.

When his order was finally called, Jon took his sandwich and looked for a table and tied his litter’s leashes around its leg, thanking the Emporium for having screwed-in bases. He placed the sandwich on top of the table and looked down at the six Husky pups looking up at him with their heads tilted to the side.

“Stay,” he told the now whining pups as he went to retrieve his coffee. They barked for his attention the farther he got, and he cringed at the glares he must be getting. _For fuck’s sake, it was an animal emporium, they will survive_ , he thought.

He was about to take a sip when black handwriting caught his gaze and he pulled the cup away from his mouth.

The barista — _Val_ , had written her number on his cup.

He wasn’t interested, his mind still on the moon-kissed angel who had charmed him, whose touch made his heart race, whose smile made his knees shake, whose—

Soft, warm hands steadied him before he fell, the coffee cup secured in his grip though a little had sprung out from the uncapped buttress.

“We have to stop meeting like this, Dany,” he half-jokingly complained, his heart still drumming at the fear of scalding the pups who were now merely 3 feet away — or worse, scalding himself with his coffee. The touch of her hands on his bare skin was soothing, thankfully.

“Do you find pleasure in tripping over people, Jon?” Daenerys shot back, a hint of defensiveness in her tone. 

If he were being honest, the first and third times were his fault, but he wouldn’t admit it. At least not yet. The fire in her eyes was too endearing to put out.

Really, anything it would take to keep her where she was, at that moment, he’d do it.

“I—” he stuttered, shaking his head before gesturing towards the pups and gesturing for Dany to hold her thought. He set his cup on her table and quickly untied the leashes from the single leg of the table.  

"Or maybe  _Val's_ ," she eyed his cup, "Number was quite the distraction."

Jon scoffed, his face pulling in distaste, shaking his head and mumbling he wasn't interested. 

His answer must have sufficed for her smile returned the moment the pups ran to her and she bent forward to pet all of them. His annoyance at the number on his cup faded as well and he watched her interact with the pups.  

He was surprised at how fast Ghost pawed at her feet for her attention, and Dany was quick to coo at him and pick him up.

“You’re such a fluffy thing, aren’t you?” she asked, smacking her lips as Ghost whined nearly pathetically for her to dote on him.

“He’s…” Violet eyes looked at him expectantly and he was at a loss for words.

“Jon?” she prompted, a sly smile splitting her lips, pearly white teeth flashing.

“His name’s Ghost- he’s mine.”

Entranced, he watched her eyebrows furrow adorably before trailing his eyes back to meet her gaze when she asked him why he had six yet only claimed one as his.

He chuckled, telling the story for the second time that day.

“That is so sweet of you!” Her eyes twinkled and pride blossomed within him.

He looked down at her table as she busied herself with Ghost, the other pups taking turns circling his legs and hers, and he counted three clear containers with a bearded dragon in each.

Untangling himself from the leashes that have literally wrapped around his legs, he asked her curiously, “Why were you in the dog’s section?”

She looked up at him, grinning, her fingers carding through Ghost’s sleek fur as she explained. “My brother has a Great Dane. I wanted to get him something.”

Jon nodded, collecting his wits as he wondered what else to ask her. He didn't want to address or bring up the fact that she ran, so he eyed the cool-looking reptiles on the table.

“So… bearded dragons?” A melodious laugh bubbled from her at the confusion in his tone.

“I’ve always been fascinated by them,” she revealed, lightly touching the closest container with her index finger, Ghost happily following it and playfully nipping. “Even as a child.”

“If you don’t mind me asking… you’re a Targaryen, aren’t you?” he swallowed thickly. Only Targaryens were known to have the kind of eyes she possessed. 

A bittersweet smile kissed her lips and she nodded, burying her nose further into Ghost who whined and looked sweetly up at her, seemingly feeling what she suddenly felt, the quick drop in her mood.

Her responding grin to his puppy was simply breathtaking.

Wanting to pull her from any bad memory he’d triggered, he took the leap and asked her a question that had been on the tip of his tongue from the moment he had tripped over her foot the second time around.  

“Would you like to go out for coffee some time, Dany?”

Her eyes were twinkling amethysts and her beam was infectious as she cheekily responded to his invitation, nuzzling Ghost and briefly pressing her lips to the crown of his head before meeting Jon’s gaze once more.

“We  _are_ at a coffee shop now, Jon. And I don’t have my coffee yet, do I?”

**Author's Note:**

> To those who missed it, I also posted a Modern Royalty AU. Should be in my list of works. 
> 
> And I don't think I'm done yet for Christmas gifts...


End file.
